Worldwise: Away CEO Jen Rubio’s Favorite Things

You can imagine that the CEO of a billion-dollar travel brand gets around. So it is for Away’s Jen
Rubio,
who co-founded the company in 2016 with friend
Steph Korey
to solve the problem of poorly designed luggage. Though launched with a four-person team as a direct-to-consumer operation, today they sell in nearly 40 countries with seven retail stores across the U.S. and in London.

Beyond providing quality luggage and other travel products (they are also eyeing skincare and apparel), the brand aims to “transform the entire travel experience.” It’s a bold ambition, but Rubio, an alumni of Warby Parker, has the chutzpah to back it up. She has been included in “30 Under 30” lists in both Forbes and Inc. Time deemed Away one of the world’s “50 Most Genius Companies of 2018.” Her favorite motto is, “If not now, then when?”

Rubio’s idea for Away was seeded in 2015, while rushing through the Zurich airport with a broken suitcase. The original plan was to do for luggage what Warby Parker did for glasses: cut out the middleman with chic, well-made direct-to-consumer goods. So far, so good.

Based in New York City, Rubio flies around 200,000 miles a year, and has been to over 50 countries. We reached out to hear about some of her favorite things the world over.

My favorite neighborhood in the world is… Kitsilano in Vancouver. This comes as a surprise to everyone who knows me—I’m a city girl who’s lived in and around SoHo in New York for a decade—but Kits has the perfect mix of restaurants, neighborhood-y shops, and outdoor activities, which almost makes me think I could have this lifestyle. I love sipping rare teas at O5, dinner at AnnaLena (check out the chef’s KAWS collection while you’re there), and walking it all off at Kits Beach.

The one thing in my kitchen I can’t live without is… a tiny Nespresso machine, which kickstarts my day in a not-very-elegant way. In fact, I moved it to my nightstand, and I have my first cup of espresso while I’m still in bed. If I’m staying at an Airbnb or a villa and I’m not sure about the coffee situation, I’ve been known to pack the machine and a sleeve of pods in my suitcase.

If I were to buy a piece of art, it would be by…
Alicja Kwade.
Her Met Rooftop sculptures got to me in all the right places: metaphysics, materials, and size. I can never decide if I want to stare at her pieces or interact with them.

The best book I’ve read in the last year is… Fleishman Is In Trouble, Taffy Brodesser-Akner. I loved every profile she wrote for the New York Times and her ability to narrate human nuance is astounding.

A passion of mine that few people know about is… my love for elephants. I’m a big supporter of the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust, an elephant orphanage in Kenya. I’m organizing a trip there soon to see all of my adoptees in person.

The one trip I’ve taken that I would love to do again… Antarctica. I went in 2011, but only got a taste of the peninsula and the South Shetland Islands. Next time—and there will be a next time!—I’m going for the South Pole.

The next destination on my travel itinerary is…
Naoshima,
the art island in Japan. Just two weeks in advance, we managed to snag a room at the Benesse, which is a stunning museum and hotel. Lucky!

The thing that gets me up in the morning is… that espresso machine on my nightstand. But when I’m up up? The fact that I get to spend my day building and creating new things. The dream.

The restaurant/bar in my hometown that I love to take a visitor to is… La Mercerie. Whenever I take people there, they’re like, “Are we getting drinks in a furniture store?” But the cocktails, food, and atmosphere rival a lot of other restaurants in Manhattan, plus you’re surrounded by the beautiful goods that Roman & Williams have curated.

A person who inspired me to do what I do is… my co-founder, Steph Korey. I never set out to be an entrepreneur, but when I called her to complain about the dearth of luggage options, she steered me into thinking that we could solve it ourselves.

Worldwise: Away CEO Jen Rubio’s Favorite Things

You can imagine that the CEO of a billion-dollar travel brand gets around.

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